Summer 2023 | Editor's Letter

Editor’s Letter

If you’re like me, you like food. And, just like me, maybe you like it a bit too much. For months-long stints, I gleefully satisfy all my cravings, then yank back the reins and restrict my calorie intake.

It’s hard owning a food-and-drink magazine because I’m constantly enticed. The only reason I’m not 500 pounds is because I teeter between these times of indulgence and restraint.

Of course, I enjoy plenty of tasty, healthy, low-calorie meals during the lean times (hello veggie-packed salads, grilled chicken breast, and air-fried salmon). But I always pine for times when I can luxuriate in pasta and cheese and butter and cake and ice cream. For food lovers like me, it’s worth doing this cyclical dance so I can be a glutton for a little while. In honor of the abundant times, we happily present our summer edition’s theme: guilty pleasures.

What are your favorite guilty-pleasure foods? How about French fries? Do you yearn for a plain hot batch that’s perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside? Or do you prefer a plate piled high with various fixings (brisket, Louisiana hot links, poutine gravy, Sriracha cheese sauce, truffle oil)? Whatever you fancy, we have a listing of local eateries with decadent choices.

Hot dogs are another beloved guilty-pleasure food, and summer is the prime season for them. We round up a delightful selection of restaurants (as well as the ballpark) to visit for the sinfully delicious sandwiches, whether you like them simple or smothered in sauce. In honor of Reno-Tahoe’s pride month (the event is July 22 this year), we worked with local drag queens to help illustrate our cover. And we learned how they dress their wieners.

Popular guilty-pleasure foods usually involve sugar and dough. So, in this issue, we introduce you to two Washoe Valley dessert businesses. The first is 40-year-old Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory that sells homemade peanut brittle, caramels, fudge, and more. The other is a new company with old roots: Anneke Schat’s Coffee and Pastry. Anneke is the youngest daughter of Erick Schat (of Erick Schat’s Bakkery in Bishop) and Shea Schat (of Shea Schat’s Bakery in Mammoth Lakes). Her eldest brother, Paul, owns Paul Schat’s Bakery in Carson City and Schat’s Bakery & Restaurant in Minden. Anneke offers fresh pastries from Paul’s bakery, such as drool-worthy bear claws and almond croissants.

Grab a local beer and help us toast to guilty pleasures. Enjoy summer!